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omv's from back in the day

Reminisce about days gone by in the job.How it used to be what you miss and how things have changed.This is an open forum.
greenfordgully
Posts: 4
Joined: 22 Jun 2007, 15:49

omv's from back in the day

Post by greenfordgully »

anyone remember the old 1 ton and 2 ton acceleration vans with the fold away
seats and normaly full of postman (not many car drivers then) waiting to be accelerated.
Imagine health and safetys view on a van with rear shutter open hurtling down the road
kicking out postmen along the way on their walks,it did happen dont think it would now
postman driver

IWW Fellow Worker
Posts: 3644
Joined: 30 May 2007, 14:27
Gender: Male

Re: omv's from back in the day

Post by IWW Fellow Worker »

greenfordgully wrote:anyone remember the old 1 ton and 2 ton acceleration vans with the fold away
seats and normaly full of postman (not many car drivers then) waiting to be accelerated.
Imagine health and safetys view on a van with rear shutter open hurtling down the road
kicking out postmen along the way on their walks,it did happen dont think it would now
The old 240 vans. Yes, not a seatbelt in sight
The Industrial Workers of the World. The union whose members never scab!

"The working class and the employing class have nothing in common."
tony T
Posts: 28
Joined: 01 May 2007, 19:36

Post by tony T »

Driving along with the door wide open, then ditch the van to deliver a parcel. Mind you UPS still do that now.
vigilante
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commer

Post by vigilante »

was that the old commer vans that looked a little like the vw caravanettes??
what about the bedfords where you would sit in and the steering wheel was offset. or was it me. :crazy:
IWW Fellow Worker
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Re: commer

Post by IWW Fellow Worker »

cornishrep wrote:was that the old commer vans that looked a little like the vw caravanettes??
what about the bedfords where you would sit in and the steering wheel was offset. or was it me. :crazy:
I remember those alright. The engine between the front seats. Just before Christmas 1981 it snowed and we went into a slow skid down a slight hill, hit the kerb and the van rolled onto its roof. One driver and five postmen ended up lying on the roof. Out we got, rolled the van back over and drove off.
The Industrial Workers of the World. The union whose members never scab!

"The working class and the employing class have nothing in common."
vigilante
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commers

Post by vigilante »

IWW Fellow Worker
glad you got away with it mate they were a bit lethal to drive bit like the flintstones car :Very Happy
i remember being taken out in the marinas what a pile of c**p they were and my mate fancied himself as a bit of a driver.
he decided to do a handbrake spin at the place we were getting out at 6.50 in the morning!!
the three of us ended up a pile of s**t in the back.
happy days--------getting out at 6.50 :Very Happy :Very Happy
IWW Fellow Worker
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Joined: 30 May 2007, 14:27
Gender: Male

Re: commers

Post by IWW Fellow Worker »

cornishrep wrote:IWW Fellow Worker
glad you got away with it mate they were a bit lethal to drive bit like the flintstones car :Very Happy
i remember being taken out in the marinas what a pile of c**p they were and my mate fancied himself as a bit of a driver.
he decided to do a handbrake spin at the place we were getting out at 6.50 in the morning!!
the three of us ended up a pile of s**t in the back.
happy days--------getting out at 6.50 :Very Happy :Very Happy
Ther were certainly happier days than now. Managers got where they were by knowing all about the job. A few years walking, then driving, then in the locker, then on the acting list. These days it's whoever is the biggest brown nose/bully and general all round turd. If they were any thicker, they would set solid.
The Industrial Workers of the World. The union whose members never scab!

"The working class and the employing class have nothing in common."
vigilante
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happier days

Post by vigilante »

Your right there mate.
but im glad we got the vans we have today though with nice radios and soft seats.
christ im talking like im old. :crazy:
IWW Fellow Worker
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Re: happier days

Post by IWW Fellow Worker »

cornishrep wrote:Your right there mate.
but im glad we got the vans we have today though with nice radios and soft seats.
christ im talking like im old. :crazy:
I've got a bike mate. The new Mailstar. Heavier than a Harley Davidson, the left pedal works loose because they've used a right handed thread, the bloody bag makes turning very dodgy and if the bottom bracket isn't oiled every other day, it sounds like a million seagulls following a trawler. Apparently they've been on trial. The stupid sod who passed them fit should be on trial, never mind the bike.
The Industrial Workers of the World. The union whose members never scab!

"The working class and the employing class have nothing in common."
vigilante
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bike

Post by vigilante »

did you honestly expect anything different from RM mate.
What about they effin great trollies you can get yer home in.
darude
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 37
Joined: 03 Jun 2007, 19:02
Gender: Male

Post by darude »

Does any one remember the old electric hand carts? we had it for town parcels.If you forgot to charge it up the day before,by the time you got to the end of the delivery.you had to pull the bloody thing.
Still before that, we had a hand cart.Made you look like Harold Steptoe.I used to get fed up of people taking the piss out of me.This would be about the late 70's.Happy days. :wave
frankie

Post by frankie »

When I first joined, I can remember being driven to my walk in the back of a van that did'nt have SEATS, let alone belts! Also we'd have a couple of bikes at any given time, so you can imagine the horror of being thrown around the back in the dark. The driver, being a bit of a sadist, would'nt put the light on! :d'oh!
IWW Fellow Worker
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Re: bike

Post by IWW Fellow Worker »

cornishrep wrote:did you honestly expect anything different from RM mate.
Not really mate!
They couldn't organise a you know what in a

Image
The Industrial Workers of the World. The union whose members never scab!

"The working class and the employing class have nothing in common."
rachris
Posts: 18
Joined: 11 May 2007, 07:58

SHERPA 200S (LDV)

Post by rachris »

Anyone remember these old crates?.. Great in the snow had to get the old brown cloth parcel sacks(4 times the size of a mail bag and held more dust than me grannys back bedroom) under the back wheels If I ever got stuck, as there was no weight in the back to traction the rear wheel drive I always kept a supply of these sacks in the back. They were noisy old things but could do incredible milages, We had one that did 130,000 and still pulled like a train think It was a Greg, I know It doesn't sound a lot nowdays but considering they had the s**t hammered out of them I think thats pretty impressive. Also remember the sliding doors on them and the health and safety Issues regarding driving around with the doors open and no seat belt...Yep hate to admit it that was me with the technotronic cassette permenently stuck in the tape player also the volume control was dodgy too!!..lol.. Used to love it at the time ..looking back now in hindsight very dangerous and stupid...Mind u I was only 21 back then.. They later on replaced the sliding doors with hinged ones when new replacement 200s came..Guess they didn't trust us to shut the door's properly.. Shame cause the sliding doors were so easy to deliver from!
underpaid
Posts: 103
Joined: 13 Jun 2007, 13:04

Re: omv's from back in the day

Post by underpaid »

greenfordgully wrote:anyone remember the old 1 ton and 2 ton acceleration vans with the fold away
seats and normaly full of postman (not many car drivers then) waiting to be accelerated.
Imagine health and safetys view on a van with rear shutter open hurtling down the road
kicking out postmen along the way on their walks,it did happen dont think it would now
yeah mate good times
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